The casual café in Paris has been teaching American travelers how to lunch for years. As an American in Paris, I have taken it upon myself to properly lunch and dine at cafés. This means research. While I was in, coincidentally, another café, sipping a café crème and reading a Parisan magazine— Le Bon Bon, similar to Chicago’s Red Eye— I found this café, Café des Chats. The café has just opened here in Paris and it gives the café experience a unique new element, one that just happens to purr.
The café is home to twenty cats from shelters around Paris. The cats are cleaned and kept by the café. It is reservations only as the café must regulate the number of people inside the dining area as not to overwhelm the cats. My friend Sarah, her aunt and I had the joy of dining there two weeks ago.
The exterior of the café frames causal diners in a quaint, aging brick interior as many of the Paris cafés do. Looking closely through the windows, any passerby can see furry companions lounging next to diners or napping in cat bungalows. The waiting room is separate from the dining room, again to make sure the cats are not overwhelmed by people. Although we had a reservation, we waited almost an hour due to the cafés popularity.
But I must say, it was well worth the wait. It was like entering an exclusive club as the hostess led us through the doors to the dining area. Beyond the swinging doors embossed with playful cats, a scene of cat lovers and brunchers welcomed us. There was an upper level and basement with seating–some were small tables, others were coffee tables with overstuffed chairs. The intimate seating arrangements gave the restaurant a warm, comforting feeling. The menu wasn’t extensive but it didn’t need to be as the food was excellent. It emulated the feeling of brunch with quiche, tea, coffee, and of course, dessert. The servers were excellent and even gave us free coffee as Sarah’s quiche was delayed. What was better was our server didn’t speak much English, so he used charades as he told us about the quiche falling on floor when it was removed from the oven.
Though the food was decadent and wonderful, the best part was the experience. The cats were beautiful and well groomed; they were truly enjoying their time as they wove through tables and slept on laps. They seemed to know they were part of something exclusive, that everyone was there for them. And they loved it. We had a little companion who dined with us; he sat in the extra chair at our table the whole time. Playing with and petting the cats was all part of the deal. Pictures were also allowed a long as there wasn’t a flash. The cats were great with people, playing with feather toys and sleeping on laps. I felt right at home, almost as if my own cat was sitting with me.
The café obviously caters to a certain crowd and that made the lunch even better. No one minded when another diner approached a cat near their table or asked to take a picture. Everyone there enjoyed the company of cats which gave the whole restaurant a blissful aura. I know, it sounds cheesy, but really it did. It was cozy and picturesque, like something out of a novel. It is hard to explain how after we pushed open the doors everyone’s demeanor changed, making the experience that much better as we all shared common love of cats.
This whole place sounds a little bizarre, maybe even unclean —which I assure you it was immaculate— but it was a truly wonderful time. It really is a dining experience that I would highly recommend.